17,215 research outputs found
Energy Level Alignment in Organic-Organic Heterojunctions: The TTF-TCNQ Interface
The energy level alignment of the two organic materials forming the TTF-TCNQ
interface is analyzed by means of a local orbital DFT calculation, including an
appropriate correction for the transport energy gaps associated with both
materials. These energy gaps are determined by a combination of some
experimental data and the results of our calculations for the difference
between the TTF_{HOMO} and the TCNQ_{LUMO} levels. We find that the interface
is metallic, as predicted by recent experiments, due to the overlap (and charge
transfer) between the Density of States corresponding to these two levels,
indicating that the main mechanism controlling the TTF-TCNQ energy level
alignment is the charge transfer between the two materials. We find an induced
interface dipole of 0.7 eV in good agreement with the experimental evidence. We
have also analyzed the electronic properties of the TTF-TCNQ interface as a
function of an external bias voltage \Delta, between the TCNQ and TTF crystals,
finding a transition between metallic and insulator behavior for \Delta~0.5 eV
Long-distance radiative corrections to the di-pion tau lepton decay
We evaluate the model-dependent piece of O(alpha) long-distance radiative
corrections to tau^- \to \pi^- \pi^0\nu_{\tau} decays by using a meson
dominance model. We find that these corrections to the di-pion invariant mass
spectrum are smaller than in previous calculations based on chiral perturbation
theory. The corresponding correction to the photon inclusive rate is tiny
(-0.15%) but it can be of relevance when new measurements reach better
precision.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. An estimate of the shift produced in the
evaluation of the h.v.p. contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment
is added. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Molecular and Genetic Regulation of Sensory Quality of Climacteric Fruit
The sensory quality of fruit has become a major criterion in making the
purchasing decision by consumers. Breeding programs have mainly been directed,
from the post-harvest stand point, towards improving shelf-life. Chance seedlings or
mutants with improved agronomic traits and/or extended shelf-life have been used
for introgressing the long shelf-life character and eventually improved sensory
quality traits in commercial genotypes of apple, melon or tomato. Because the plant
hormone ethylene plays a central role in both storability and ripening of climacteric
fruit, the generation by biotechnology of ethylene-inhibited fruit has offered a
powerful tool to better understand, at the molecular and genetic level, the interrelations
between storability and sensory quality. In the melon, inhibition of ethylene
synthesis results is a strong inhibition of the synthesis of aroma volatiles while the
accumulation of sugars is not affected or is even improved. The softening of the flesh
is strongly affected but not abolished. Mid or long shelf-life melons generated by
classical breeding present the same behavior. The generation of recombinant inbred
lines by crossing a typical climacteric melon (Cantaloupe Charentais of the
cantalupensis group) with a non climacteric melon (PI161375 of the agrestis
chinensis group) allowed to demonstrate that the climacteric character is conferred
by 2 duplicated loci only, which are of great importance for the regulation of
storability and sensory quality. Due to the importance of aroma volatiles in sensory
quality and to the strong negative correlation between aroma production and
ethylene synthesis, we have developed a research program aimed at isolating genes
involved in the synthesis of aroma volatiles. We will report on the recent advances in
the field with special emphasis on the characterization of genes responsible for the
synthesis of esters, a family of compounds crucial for the flavor of many fruit
Vacuum stability in the singlet Majoron model
We study the vacuum stability of the singlet Majoron model using full
renormalization group improved scalar potential and Monte Carlo techniques. We
show that in the perturbative regime of the various free parameters, the vacuum
stability requirement together with LEP limits is passed by 18% of the
parameter space if the scale of new physics is 10 TeV and 6% if the scale is
GeV. Moreover, if the baryogenesis condition for scalar couplings is
required, no portion of the parameter space survives.Comment: 9 pages + 1 uuencoded figur
PATTERNS OF OCCURRENCE AND ABUNDANCE IN COLONY COMPLEXES OF THE MEXICAN PRAIRIE DOG (CYNOMYS MEXICANUS) IN PRODUCTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE GRASSLANDS
The Mexican prairie dog lives in a small (500-600 km2) area of northeastern Mexico. The species is listed as endangered due to habitat fragmentation from recent large-scale agricultural development in the northern part of its limited geographical range and from shrub encroachment in the south. In this work we aim to study the role of Mexican prairie dog in the ecology of grasslands in the southern Chihuahuan Desert. Most of the species’ colonies, particularly in the far south of its range, occur today in short grasslands that grow on low productivity, gypsum-derived soils where the rate of such shrub encroachment is reduced. A survey of the region surrounding these southern colonies indicated that this has not always been the case as evidence of the species’ occurrence on more productive alluvial soils in the past is apparent. Biomass production and seasonal prairie dog densities were measured on these low productivity soils in the south of its range and on richer and deeper alluvial soils to the north. Total biomass production was seven times greater and densities were three-and-one-half times greater on the deeper alluvial soils. Adult seasonal densities were not significantly different within a soil type during the period monitored while juvenile densities increased significantly in the summer censuses due to the birth of young. The similar seasonal densities at each site suggest that the Mexican prairie dog is resource limited. An inferential study of the development of one isolated colony on the more productive alluvial soils in the north of the species’ range showed lower prairie dog densities in the center of the colony and at the edge of the colony in the zone of recent expansion than in the area peripheral to the center. Vegetation coverage was too scarce in the center of the colony to quantify. The areas peripheral to the center and in the zone of expansion were reduced in coverage of grasses and sedges in comparison to the unutilized surrounding grassland while the palatable grass, Bouteloua gracilis, was absent in the center and periphery of the colony and increased significantly in coverage from the zone of expansion to the adjoining grassland.Such low productivity grasslands may have served as refuges for the species during previous episodes of shrub encroachment in the Holocene. In addition, the natural fragmentation of such grasslands suggested that the Mexican prairie dog might function as a metapopulation. Colonizations and extinctions were recorded at monitored areas on each soil type. The major difference between the two complexes was due to the greater productivity of the alluvial soils in the north. Consequently, three times as many young per hectare are produced on these soils, greatly increasing the probability of the species maintaining an extant colony or successfully founding new colonies there. The probability of extinction of the Mexican prairie dog is higher in the south of its range due to these lower densities and conservation of the species there should involve the systematic transplantation of individuals from colonies on the richer alluvial soils to the north.El perro llanero mexicano (Cynomys mexicanus) vive en una pequeña área (500-600 km2) del noreste de México. La especie está considerada en peligro de extinción debido principalmente a la fragmentación del hábitat, al reciente desarrollo y expansión agrícola en la porción norte de su limitada distribución geográfica y a la invasión de arbustos en el sur de su área de distribución. En este trabajo estudiamos el papel ecológico del perro llanero mexicano en la ecología de los pastizales en el sur del desierto Chihuahuense. Muchas colonias de esta especie, particularmente en la parte más sur de su área de distribución, están actualmente asentadas en pastizales cortos que se desarrollan en suelos de productividad baja derivados de yeso, donde la tasa de invasión de los arbustos es reducida. Un estudio de la región de los alrededores de las colonias sureñas indicó que esto no siempre ha sido el caso y hay evidencias de que en el pasado estuvo presente en los suelos aluviales profundos más productivos. Se evaluaron la producción de biomasa y las densidades estacionales de la especie en suelos baja productividad del sur de su área de distribución actual y sobre suelos aluviales ricos y profundos en la parte norte. En los suelos aluviales profundos la producción de biomasa total fue siete veces mayor y las densidades de los perros llaneros fueron tres veces y media más grandes. Las densidades estacionales de adultos no fueron significativamente diferentes por tipo de suelo durante el período del monitoreo, en cambio las densidades de juveniles aumentaron significativamente en los censos de verano debido al nacimiento de las crías. La similitud en densidades estacionales por sitio sugiere que la especie está limitada por alimento. Un estudio inferencial del desarrollo de una colonia aislada sobre los suelos aluviales más productivos en el norte del área de distribución de la especie, mostró densidades bajas en el centro y en el borde de la colonia de reciente expansión, en comparación con la zona periférica al centro. La cobertura vegetal también fue escasa en el centro de esa colonia. Las áreas periféricas al centro y la zona de expansión de la colonia mostraron menor cobertura de pastos y juncias en comparación con el pastizal aledaño no utilizado por la colonia, mientras que la especie de pasto Bouteloua gracilis estuvo ausente en el centro y periferia de la colonia, y aumentó significativamente en cobertura desde la zona de expansión de la colonia hacia el pastizal que la circunda.Los pastizales de productividad baja pudieron haber funcionado como refugios para el perro llanero durante episodios previos de invasión de arbustos en el Holoceno. La fragmentación natural de esos pastizales, sugiere que el perro llanero mexicano puede estar funcionando como una metapoblación. Se registraron colonizaciones y extinciones en áreas monitoreadas en cada tipo de suelo. La diferencia principal entre los dos complejos se debió a la productividad mayor de los suelos aluviales de la porción norte. En consecuencia, se producen tres veces mas juveniles por hectárea en esos suelos, lo que aumenta mucho la probabilidad de que la especie mantenga una colonia establecida o de fundar con éxito nuevas colonias en esos suelos. La probabilidad de extinción del perro llanero mexicano es mas alta en el sur de su área de distribución debido a estas densidades mas bajas y su conservación ahí deberá de incluir el trasplante sistemático de individuos desde las colonias de los suelos aluviales productivos de la parte norte
Comparison of Eight Remnant Tamaulipan Biotic Province Plant Communities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley Using Multivariate Analyses [Comparación de Ocho Comunidades Vegetales Remanentes de la Provincia Biótica Tamaulipeca el Valle del Río Grande Usando Análisis Multivariada]
The Tamaulipan Biotic Province falls within a biogeographic ecotone between temperate North America, the neotropics and the Chihuahuan Desert, and has consequently been defined as “Tamaulipan brushlands.” No quantitative, comparative study has ever been undertaken on the many and varied plant communities that occur in the region. This study compares eight remnant, primary plant communities to test the null hypothesis that the province comprises a single definable vegetation type. Four 50 x 10 m belt-transects were established at each site and woody plants taller than 1 m were recorded to determine species frequency, density, stratification and dominance. Community diversity was calculated using Shannon-Weiner and Simpson indexes. Permutational multiple analysis of variance (PerMANOVA) and Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) examined the relationship between plant community composition and compared their degrees of similarity. Results indicate all eight sites maintain distinct plant communities.
Alternate abstract:
La Provincia Biótica Tamaulipeca se posiciona en un ecotono biogeográfico entre Norte America templado, los neotrópicos y el Desierto Chihuahuense, y consequentemente se a definido como “matorral Tamaulipeco.” Ningún estudio cuantitativo se a desarollado para enfrentarse a las diversas comunidades vegetatles que ocurren el la región. Éste studio compara ocho communidades remanentes de vegetación primaria para probar la hipótesis nula que la provincia consiste de un solo tipo de vegetación definable. Cuatro transectos de 50 x 10 m fueron establecidos en cada sitio y plantas leñosas arriba de 1 m fueron documentadas para determiner la frequencia, densidad, estratificación y dominancia de especies. La diversitdad de comunidades fue calculada usando los índices de Shannon-Weiner y Simpson. Técnicas de Análisis de Permutaciones y Multiple ANOVA y Escalamiento Multidimensional No Métrico (NMS) examinaron la relación entre la composición de comunidades vegetales y compararon su grado de similitud. Resultados indican que cada de los ocho sitios mantienen comunidades vegetales distintas
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